Thread traverse mechanism for a precision cross winding machine



April 26, 1960 W.'STEEGER 2,934,284

THREAD TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR A PRECISION CROSS wmnmc MACHINE Filed July 6, 1956 United States Patent THREAD TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR A PRE- CISION CROSS WINDING MACHINE Wilhelm Steeger, Wuppertal-Barmen, Germany I Application July 6, 1956, Serial No. 596,262

2 Claims. (Cl. 242-1583) This invention relates to a thread traverse mechanism for a precision cross winding machine.

A known type of traverse mechanism for cross winding machines comprises a rotatable traverse cylinder, a thread guide adapted to slide in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder, a follower, a cam groove provided in the cylinder and engaging the fol lower and adapted to impart a rectilinear reciprocating movement to the follower during continuous rotation of the cylinder, and a pivot interconnecting the thread guide and the follower.

In the known mechanisms of this type, the axis of the pivot intersects the axis of rotation of the spindle.

The known mechanisms have the disadvantage that short standstill periods, i.e. brief cessations of the movement of the thread guide, occur at the ends of the traverse movement.

The object of the invention is to remove this disadvantage by causing the thread guide to move relatively to the center of the follower at the ends of the traversing movement when the center of the follower is momentarily stationary.

The invention consists in a traverse mechanism of the abovementioned type, in which the follower is of elongated shape and the cam groove causes rotation of the follower through a small angle at each reversal of the rectilinear movement of the follower, and the pivot interconnecting the thread guide and the follower is so .dis posed that the rotation of the follower causes the required movement of the thread guide relatively to the center of the follower.

The cam groove is preferably in the form of two opposite intersecting helices merging into one another at their ends.

The pivot is preferably formed by a journal rigid with the follower and disposed at one end thereof and engaging the thread guide, the axis of the journal passing to one side of the axis of rotation of the cylinder.

An embodiment of the invention chosen by way of example is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the thread guide and traverse spindle, with the follower shown in elevation, and

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of one end of the traverse spindle with the follower engaged therein, the other parts shown in Fig. 1 being omitted.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, a traverse cylinder 5 is rotatable about an axis A. A thread guide 1 is mounted in a casing 7 so as to be slidable therein in a direction at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1 and parallel to the axis A. The mechanism further comprises an elongated follower 2. A cam groove 4 is provided in the cylinder 5. This groove is in the form of two opposite intersecting helices merging into one another at their ends, in the manner shown in Fig. 2, as is well known in the art.

A cylindrical journal 3 rigid with the follower 2 and disposed at one end thereof engages loosely in an aperture 6 in the thread guide 1. The journal and aperture thus form a pivot interconnecting the thread guide 1 and the follower 2. The axis B of the journal passes to one side of the axis A.

The cam groove 4 engages the follower 2 and, in a manner well known in the art, imparts a rectilinear reciprocating movement to the follower during continuous rotation of the spindle 5. It will be clear from the foregoing and from the drawings that the groove will cause rotation of the follower 2 through an angle a at each reversal of the rectilinear movement of the follower.

This rotation will take place about an axis passing through the center of the follower and intersecting the axis A at right angles. The journal 3 is some distance away from the center of the follower 2. Therefore, during this rotation the journal 3 will be displaced along an arc of a circle relatively to the center of the follower.

Because of the engagement of the journal 3 in the aperture 6, and the slidable mounting of the thread guide 1 in the casing 7, this displacement will cause the thread guide 1 to be displaced along the chord of said are relatively to the center of the follower.

That is to say, the pivot is so disposed that the rotation of the follower will cause the thread guide 1 to be displaced relatively to the center of the follower. If the journal 3 were at the center of the follower, no such relative displacement would take place. As the cylinder 5 rotates, the center of the follower 2 moves backwards and forwards from end to end of the cam groove 4 in the cylinder 5. The thread-guide 1 participates in this basic movement and also is displaced along the axis of the cylinder, relatively to the center of the follower, when the latter rotates about its center at the ends of the traversing movement. At these points the threadguide therefore has a movement made up of two components, that is to say the basic movement of the center of the follower, and also the additional movement due to the followers rotation about its center. The purpose of the additional movement is to remove the short standstill periods which occur at the ends of the traversing movement with known apparatus of this kind in which the thread-guide is pivotally connected to the follower and the pivotal movement takes place about an axis intersecting the axis of rotation of the traverse cylinder. The additional movement takes place immediately before, during and after the brief cessation of the basic movement at the ends of the traverse, and ceases when the reversal of the basic movement has been completed.

I claim:

1. A thread traverse mechanism comprising a rotatable traverse cylinder, a thread guide adapted to slide in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder, an elongated follower, a cam groove provided in the cylinder and engaging the follower and adapted to impart a rectilinear reciprocating movement to the follower during continuous rotation of the cylinder, and to cause rotation of the follower through a small angle at each reversal of the rectilinear movement of the follower, and a single pivot interconnecting the thread guide and the follower, which pivot comprises a journal rigid with the follower and disposed at one end thereof and engaging the thread guide, the axis of the journal passing to one side of the axis of rotation of the cylinder, whereby the rotation of the follower causes the thread guide to be displaced axially of the cylinder relative to the follower.

2. A thread traverse mechanism as claimed in claim 1, in which the cam groove is in the form of two opposite intersecting helices merging into one another at their ends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,568,960 Kershaw Sept. 25, 1951' 2,803,107 Long Aug. 20, 1957 2,830,431 Klein Apr. 15, 1958 

